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| by Liz Nightingale, NHS and Independent Midwife |
| 12-24 weeks During this period you will probably only have 1 appointment with your midwife - to monitor your pregnancy blood pressure, the baby's heart beat. The other thing you will be offered is a blood test (on you, not the baby). This is called the triple test and should not be confused with an aminocentesis which is a whole different thing: |
| The Triple Test This is a blood test carried out at around 16 weeks of pregnancy to give an indication of the risk of the baby having downs syndrome or spina bifida. It is called a triple test because it makes the risk calculations by measuring levels of three substances in the blood (one protein and two hormones), it also takes into account the mothers age. The results can not give a definite 100% answer as to whether the baby has downs syndrome or spina bifida or not, but will give a risk level in the form of a chance of 1 in so many. Approximately 60% of cases of downs syndrome are detected with the triple test and almost all cases of severe spina bifida are detected as it is also possible to double check for this condition on ultra-sound scan. |
| The triple test can be difficult to interpret as a pregnant woman, because it's not a diagnosis and doesn't gurantee you baby is OK, even if the risk level is low. Also it only looks for two conditions - Spina Bifida and Downs Syndrome. I think it's important to think carefully about this test before you have it and perhaps even discuss it with your midwife or GP if you have any doubts. Below I have suggested some questions you may wish to consider: |
| Should I Have The Triple Test? |
| - What am I going to do with the information? |
| - Would I take any action if the results were high risk? |
| - What would my options be? |
| - Would it cause unneccessary stress? |
| - Do I need to know all the information that is available? |
| Many pregnant women need something to make them feel safe at this point in their pregnancy, and for a lot of women, the triple test can provide some peace of mind. |
| When Should I Feel The Baby Move? |
| This can be variable! Some women (especially those who have had babies before) can start to feel the 'fluttering' sensations as early as 12 weeks, but in general around 20 weeks is when a lot of women start to notice. Don't panic if you can't feel movements at this point - your midwife can listen to the baby to check it's OK and of course at about 20 weeks you'll also have your main ultrasound 'abnormalities' scan. There are cases where women don't feel movements until much later on and this can be caused by the placenta sitting at the front (your tummy side) of the uterus. The baby tends to face away from the ummy and so the kicks can't be felt as easily. But as a general rule once the baby starts moving, it should keep moving. If you have any reason to think you baby has stopped moving completely, report it immediately to your midwife or GP. |
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